Dreifort Gets Off to a Shaky Start

Darren Dreifort doesn’t need to rack up some nice statistics simply to justify his $55-million contract.

If the first three games are any indication, Dreifort and every other Dodger starter will need to pitch like Pedro Martinez if the Dodgers are to have any chance of competing in the National League West.

When you ask Dodger folks what they like about this team, they start with the pitching and then taper off very quickly. Take that away and it’s hard to find much else.

The Dodgers lost to Arizona, 7-2, Wednesday night, and Dreifort took most of the damage.

His final numbers: 10 hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

“Not exactly, I think, what Darren Dreifort was looking for,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said.

Not exactly.

The Dodgers simply can’t have any of this cold-start, hot-finish stuff from Dreifort this year. In his career he is 19-27 with a 4.74 ERA before the All-Star break and 20-18, 3.73 afterward.

He said he didn’t put any extra emphasis on getting a good jump out of the gate this year.

“Not any more than usual,” Dreifort said.

Instead it was just the usual early early-season results.

At least the pitching staff has help on the way. Kevin Brown threw in a simulated game Wednesday and could start Sunday if the rehabilitation of his Achilles’ tendon injury goes well.

When it comes to additions to the roster, the only encouraging good news on the hitting front is that Adrian Beltre can eat more than a smoothie for dinner these days. He still isn’t expected to be back from his stomach surgery until mid-May.

It could turn out that the Dodgers will need strong pitching to get in position to trade a starter for another hitter.

The Dodgers have scored only five runs in their first three games.

Their two leadoff hitters, Marquis Grissom and Tom Goodwin, are a combined 0 for 13 with no walks. Nada-nada-nada. That’s not an on-base percentage, it’s a non-base percentage.

The Dodgers finally got something from Shawn Green and Eric Karros. Green had three hits and Karros drove in the Dodgers’ second run.

Granted, two of those games came against the intimidating duo of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling of Arizona. But they were only one swing of Gary Sheffield’s bat from getting shut out by Milwaukee’s Jamey Wright on opening day.

The Dodgers have a good foundation for their staff. Last year the pitching staff had the second-lowest earned-run average in the National League (4.10), and tied for first in opponents’ batting average (.252).

Chan Ho Park has a chance to make huge free-agent dollars in the off-season, so expect big things from him. Eric Gagne showed why he earned a spot in the rotation with his effort on Tuesday against Johnson. Brown will be Brown when he gets back.

What about Dreifort? He showed some toughness getting out of a second-and-third, no-outs situation. It helped that Schilling made a baserunning blunder and got run down at third. But then Dreifort got a double-play ball and he was done.

In the fifth inning Dreifort gave up hits to four of five batters and threw a wild pitch and went to a full count on the other--Schilling--without a visit to the mound. Tracy must be from the Phil Jackson school of managing.

Finally, after Matt Williams laced a double down the right-field line to drive in the third run of the inning, pitching coach Jim Colborn went to check on Dreifort. He left, then Dreifort walked Steve Finley and gave up a base hit to David Dellucci, driving in two runs.

The issue with Dreifort was endurance and his ability to go into the late innings. Tracy said his only concern was pitch counts, that Dreifort throw 90-100 pitches and make them count. Dreifort lasted only 75 pitches Wednesday night, but the Diamondbacks hit him hard from the first inning on.

It was supposed to be a different Dreifort this year. In spring training Dreifort made adjustments to ease the strain on his right elbow, which was surgically reconstructed five years ago.

Colborn didn’t want to sound too technical for the readers when he explained the changes, but it didn’t sound overly complex.

“His step is trying to be a little more open, a little straighter to home plate,” Colborn said. “It seemed like when it was closed it might have put a little more pressure on his elbow. We’re hopeful that it wouldn’t hurt his elbow as badly if he steps straight.”

As a side effect, “It seems to make him smoother and more consistent.”

And in case that last part was too inside baseball, Colborn added: “It’s a good thing.”

He was consistently roped Wednesday. Tracy said that “his delivery, his mechanics, were very good.”

Dreifort said: “I felt good.”

In his economical way of saying things, Dreifort summed it up: “It happens.”

It can’t happen too often, or else the Dodgers won’t be happening at all.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: j.a.adande@latimes.com.